Site guides

Collingham Pits

Collingham Pitsare a series of active and partially restored sand
and gravel pits, located north of Newark, between the village of Collingham and
the River Trent. The site is accessed off Low Street in Collingham via Carlton
Ferry Lane (which is actually signed ‘Trent Lane’ on the ground). After about a
kilometer, the first pit that is reached is Ferry Lane Lake, which can be viewed from two spots along the road
(a single gate on the southern side, and a double gate in the south-western
corner). It can also be viewed from a footpath that runs along its northern
side.

Ferry Lane Lake became a lake during the winter of 2013/14 following
flooding and has remained full ever since, although there remains some
unquarried sand in the centre which may mean that the water gets pumped down in
the future to access it. When water levels were lower (especially at the end of
the summer), these workings were attractive to waders, pulling in species such
as Temminck’s and Little Stints, Wood, Curlew
and Pectoral Sandpipers and Spotted Redshank. However, the star bird was
not a wader, but a passerine; Nottinghamshire’s first Pied Wheatear turned up
here in November 2013.

Since the
pit flooded, it has lost much of its wader interest, although muddy fringes on
the western bank can still be attractive to the odd wader such as Ruff and
Green Sandpiper. Of course, it has become of more interest for wildfowl and
other wetland species, and since 2014 has attracted Great Northern Diver,
Scaup, Common Scoter and Smew. Reasonable numbers of wildfowl – particularly
Wigeon and Tufted Duck - can build up in the winter (and are always worth
checking for something rarer), along with Goldeneye and sometimes Goosander;
Green-winged Teal occurred before the pits flooded, and Garganey will sometimes
put in an appearance either side of the summer. The fields to the west of the
pit can hold herds of swans in the winter, depending on the crop, which are
always worth a scan for Whooper Swan. These fields, and the others around the
site, retain a good selection of farmland birds, including Yellowhammer,
Linnet, Skylark, Grey Partridge, and occasionally Tree Sparrow.

The
breeding bird community is relatively poor currently, but includes Coot, Great
Crested Grebe and Sand Martin, whilst shallow pools which sometimes form on the
western side of the pit, viewable by looking north from the double gate, have
hosted breeding Lapwing and Redshank in the past. Large numbers of hirundines
and Swifts can congregate in poor weather conditions in the spring and at this
time the grassland on the western side of the side, now closely grazed by
horses, and can be attractive to Yellow Wagtails. It was here also that a Glossy
Ibis took up residence for several days in 2014 and more recently, a Water
Pipit in March 2016. Arctic and Black Terns can occur in suitable conditions,
and Little Gull and Kittiwake have been recorded on occasion; a
reasonably-sized gull roost has started to form in the autumn, predominantly
Lesser Black-backs, but with Yellow-legs and the odd Caspian too.

Two pits
lie immediately to the north of Ferry Lane Lake. Wharf Pond has two sections, to the north and south, and can be
viewed from adjacent footpaths. This pit rarely has much of note, but the
northern part is quite shallow and can be good for waders if water levels have
dropped sufficiently at the end of the summer, whilst the southern part has
held Red-necked Grebe in the past. Cow-wath
(so-named after a pond which used to exist here) also rarely holds much of
note, and is difficult to view. To the north of Cow-wath and the quarry yard is
the Works Pit, which can be partially
viewed from Northcroft Lane, but again, this again rarely holds anything of great
note. However, this can be a good place to listen for Turtle Dove.

Further
along Ferry Lane, the Silt Lagoon is
reached on the right hand side, which can be viewed from a gap in the hedge on
the lane (which by now has become a track), or from Northcroft Lane on the
north side. This supports a silty delta on its eastern side, the size of which
depends on water levels, but can be good for loafing gulls (including
Yellow-legged later in the summer) and passage waders such as Little Ringed
Plover, Avocet and Whimbrel. Curlews favour the grassland peninsular that
bisects the pit during the winter and early spring (which can also be worth
checking for Wheatear at the appropriate time), whilst small numbers of diving
duck are resident during the winter and Shelduck breed here. The patch of reeds
next to the delta is the largest area of reed on the site, and supports
breeding Reed Warbler, the occasional Water Rail, and is a good place to scan
for Snipe when water levels are low.

To the
east of the Silt Lagoon is the ‘new workings’, properly named Northcoft Pond. This pit is currently
under excavation (at the time of writing), and cannot be seen from public
rights of way. Northcroft Lane, a track
which runs along the northern side of the Silt Lagoon and Northcroft Pond,
before turning south-east past the quarry yard entrance, is bordered by mature
hedges and ash trees. The lane is particularly good for breeding warblers and
Bullfinch. It is also worth walking in spring and autumn for Redstart and
Spotted Flycatcher, which sometimes occur. This is also still a good spot for
Turtle Dove.

Newark-on-Trent Birding

This site is dedicated to birding around Newark-on-Trent in Nottinghamshire (UK), primarily at the gravel pits to the north of the town - Collingham Pits, Besthorpe Nature Reserve, Langford Lowfields and Girton Pits - and the Cotham Flash area and KilvingtonLakes to the south. It also covers forays elsewhere in Nottinghamshire, and beyond, and other wildlife sightings (especially butterflies)...

About Me

Originally from Suffolk, I have lived in Newark in Nottinghamshire for about 12 years. When not at work (as a local government ecologist) or doing non-birdy things, I can be found on my local patch of Collingham Pits and Besthorpe NR, or at one of a number of other of sites around Newark. Occasionally I actually see something of note.